User defined active zones for touch screen displays on hand held device

Abstract

An application program installed in a hand held computing device such as a tablet computer presents a graphical user interface (GUI) on a touch screen display and receives touch input signals from the touch screen display. When an unintentional touch event is detected, the application switches from an active mode to a configuration mode. In the configuration mode, graphical tools are displayed on the touch screen display to enable a user to define or adjust the active zone of the touch screen display so as to exclude the area of the touch screen display touched by the hand that is grasping the hand held device. Interactive elements in the GUI are then rearranged so that the interactive elements are within the newly defined active zone.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An electronic device comprising:
 a touch screen display configured to display a GUI and to generate touch input signals responsive to touch events; and 
 a processing circuit configured to:
 detect an inadvertent touch event based on first touch input signals detected while in an active mode; 
 switch, responsive to the inadvertent touch event, to a configuration mode; 
 define an active zone on said touch screen based on second touch input signals detected while in said configuration mode, wherein the active zone comprises less than the full display area of the touch screen; 
 rearrange one or more interactive elements in the GUI so that interactive elements in the GUI are displayed in the active zone; 
 return to said active mode; 
 store two or more active zones in a memory of said electronic device; 
 detect, while in the active mode, a change in how the electronic device is held; and 
 automatically switch from a first previously stored active zone to a second previously stored active zone based detecting the change in how the electronic device is held. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The electronic device of  claim 1  wherein the processing circuit is configured to detect the inadvertent touch event based on the first touch input signals by detecting a presence of a user's hands or fingers on one area of the touch screen for more than a predetermined period of time. 
     
     
       3. The electronic device of  claim 1  wherein the processing circuit defines the active zone on said touch screen by:
 presenting a graphical tool set on said display, wherein said graphical tool set comprises a set of graphical tools for describing the active zone; and 
 receiving said second touch input signals responsive to a user interacting with said graphical tools in said graphical tool set. 
 
     
     
       4. The electronic device of  claim 3  wherein said graphical tool set is presented on the display by the processing circuit comprises a visual representation showing the boundary of the active zone. 
     
     
       5. The electronic device of  claim 4  wherein the visual representation showing the boundary of the active zone includes one or more drag handles for resizing or reshaping the border of the active zone. 
     
     
       6. The electronic device of  claim 1  wherein the processing circuit is further configured to revert to a full screen touch mode when the electronic device is not held for a predetermined period of time, wherein in the full screen touch mode the active zone comprises the full display area of the touch screen. 
     
     
       7. The electronic device of  claim 1  wherein the processing circuit is further configured to select a previously stored active zone based on a user preference. 
     
     
       8. A method implemented by an electronic device including a touch screen display configured to display a GUI and to generate touch input signals responsive to touch events, said method comprising:
 detecting an inadvertent touch event based on first touch input signals detected while in an active mode; 
 switching, responsive to the inadvertent touch event, to a configuration mode; 
 defining an active zone on said touch screen based on second touch input signals detected while in said configuration mode, wherein the active zone comprises less than the full display area of the touch screen; 
 rearranging one or more interactive elements in the GUI so that the interactive elements in the GUI are displayed in the active zone; 
 returning to said active mode; 
 storing two or more active zones in a memory of said electronic device; 
 detecting, while in the active mode, a change in how the electronic device is held; and 
 automatically switching from a first previously stored active zone to a second previously stored active zone based detecting the change in how the electronic device is held. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8  wherein detecting the inadvertent touch event based on first touch input signals by detecting the presence of a user's hands or fingers on one area of the touch screen for more than a predetermined period of time. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 8  wherein defining the active zone on said touch screen comprises:
 presenting a graphical tool set on said display, wherein said graphical tool set comprises a set of graphical tools for describing the active zone; and 
 receiving said second touch input signals responsive to a user interacting with said graphical tool set. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10  wherein the graphical tool set presented on the display comprises a visual representation showing the boundary of the active zone. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11  wherein the visual representation showing the boundary of the active zone includes one or more handles for resizing or reshaping the border of the active zone. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 8  further comprising reverting to a full screen touch mode when the electronic device is not held for a predetermined period of time, wherein in the full screen touch mode the active zone comprises the full display area of the touch screen. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 8  further comprising selecting a previously stored active zone based on a user preference.